Kingdom Hearts: The Heart of Destiny
by J. B. Royals
Summary: A non canon story, that tells a different version of the story after KH 3DDD. Sora learns more about the heart, and his destiny to defeat Xenahort once and for all.


I've recently played the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts again, and got inspired to write an ending I'd like to see for Sora and friends. Alot of details may be glossed over, and some aspects might not be in line with the universe in which it takes place. Nonetheless, I felt inspired; so here is my take on Sora's journey after 3DDD.

*SPOILERS*

I am fully aware of the events that have been laid out in games, this is just an alternate storyline I came up while playing these games. In this version, Xehanort's plan to start another Keyblade War isn't what he has in mind. Exposition from the first two chapter's should clear this up, however please suspend some of what you know so that the story fits. I love this game series, and hope I can do it justice.

Chapter 1: The Heart of Destiny

Sora found himself in a familiar place, after being haunted by a terrible darkness in his dreams. For what seemed like forever to him, he sat alone in darkness. The comforts of his friends and new friends could not reach him. Sora stood in a dark empty void, only hearing the sound of a wailing haunt; fortelling his doom. Sora, still held in his heart that someone would save him. As he shouted out into the void for help, a familiar voice rang around him. He could not see where it came from, but it was a faint voice amongst the discordant chimes of darkness. It was Riku.

As the sounds of Riku's voice grew louder within the endless dark, Sora's light began to return to him. More and more he could see out into darkness, as the shadows slowly moved away from him. Sora knew Riku, was fighting for him and he continued to cheer on his friend now that his world was returning to him. As the darkness retreated faster and faster away from Sora, a rushing wave of light started to flash with a great intensity, blinding Sora completely.

Sora tried blinking multiple times, as the temporary blindness left him and he could see where he was. A large eternal darkness surrounded him, but for the floor was a familiar sight. An ornate decoration beneath him, that linked all his friends together in a portrait. Sora has been here before, yet he still did not know entirely where he was. He could no longer hear Riku's voice, nor the calls of the terrible darkness that surrounded moments prior.

"Hello! What's going on? Riku? Riku!?" Sora called out, hoping earnestly for an answer.

There was no response. Sora continued to call out for Riku and his friends to help him. As he finally stopped calling out for help, he decided to observe his surroundings. To his dismay, it was just him on the center of a familiar platform. Suddenly, another beam of light peirced from the sky with a loud gush of sound. The light began to expabd wider and wider, to reveal a very large and ornate door. The door had a very rustic and classic visual design, with two large columns on both sides. The roof was stone carved, laced with several carvings of vine and roses.

The door was incredibly massive, and Sora was very small in comparison. Sora noticed this door looked like the one he had opened when he first found Kingdom Hearts after his battle with Ansem. However, this door was different. One door panel was made of light, and the other was made of darkness. It was as if he stood before light and darkness, seperated only by a midline which marked their respective boundaries. On the face of each door panel, were the outlines of two familiar people.

The light panel had a small boy, slightly younger than Sora, weilding the Wayward Wind keyblade with it in his backhand. The dark panel, displayed a taller boy closer to Sora's age, weilding the Oathkeeper and Oblivion blade in each hand. Sora recognized only one of the faces, and though he was vaguely aware of the others' signifigance to him; he felt a strong sense in his heart that they were connected somehow.

"Roxas? What is this place?" Sora asked outloud.

Sora walked hesistantly towards the door. As he got closer, the outlines of the two boys on the door began to move into an aggressive fighting stance. Sora quickly jumped back and summoned his key blade to his hand.

"Be not afraid young Sora." A deep voice rang out.

"Huh? Who's there? Where are you!?" Sora shouted back.

The voice sounded very familiar. Sora recognized the voice, but was unsure if it was a trick or not.

"The time has come for you Sora. There is much you need to learn, and time is not an ally for you." The voice spoke again, this time appearing to come from right behind him.

Sora immediately turned around, only to be shocked at who he saw. Standing before him was a very familiar face. A tall man, with orange eyes and long blonde hair draped to the side of a strong and chiseled face. The man wore long red crimson robes and had a brown sack slung to his side. Sora knew this man. It was Ansem the Wise.

"Ansem? What are you doing here! We all thought you passed on before our encounter with Xemnas, when we tried to stop him from creating an artificial Kingdom Hearts!" Sora said quickly, puzzled by the entire situation.

"I am unfamiliar with the name 'Ansem the Wise.'" The man said to Sora.

"But you look just like him! Who are you?" Sora exclaimed.

"I am Virgil, your guide to your journey." The man answered.

"But, why do you look like Ansem. How come you are in my dreams? Where are we? What is this door? Where are my friends?" Sora responded, rattling off questions frustrated at his confusion.

The man smirked, as he brought his hand up to his chin.

"Young Sora, there is little you and your friends know and there is much for you to do. If it satisfies your curiosity, I shall explain then. I am Virgil, a spiritual guide for the journey ahead. I came to you because it was fate that I do so. I chose this form, as your memories recall this person to be both insightful, wise and mysterious. I can be anything you have ever witnessed, but there is no time for such games." Virgil answered.

"But where did you come from? Where am I?" Sora asked innocently.

"We are standing on top of your heart Sora. This platform represents your heart, and this portrait is the seal which binds it to the soul and your body. It is a physical representation of that which you cannot see. The heart is very mysterious place Sora, and within all hearts lies a magic that is as unusual and unknown as those whom hold it. I am a guide, sent from the 'Threads of Fate,' to assist you on your journey." Virgil began.

"We... are... inside my heart? What are the 'Threads of Fate?'" Sora asked.

"The 'Threads of Fate' are what created this universe you live in. In the beginning, light was forged within darkness. From that light, the threads were woven and the history of everything you know was sown. However, this enemy of yours, Xenahort has disrupted the threads with his unnatural actions within nature. The threads are slowly starting to unravel, and now we are unsure of what future this universe will have. These 'Threads' decide the fate of all worlds, but now Xenahort's machinations have thrown it all into chaos. Balance must be restored, before darkness befalls everything." Virgil stated.

"But, these 'Threads,' why didn't they see Xenahort's plan? Why didn't you stop him?" Sora asked aggressively.

"It is not our place to interfere with the course of fate. Everything serves a grand purpose, and what tragedies or blessings come are for fate alone to decide. However, Xenahort's interuption of this balance will bring about an unchecked chaos that not even fate will be able to intervene. This is why I am here to guide you Sora. You and your friends must restore the balance; your fates must now be rewritten and how it goes is entirely in your hands now Sora." Virgil said ominously.

"But what do I do? Xenahort wants to start a keyblade war and open Kingdom Hearts to unleash darkness again. What can I do?" Sora asked.

"Your friends will be able to keep Xenahort and his plans at bay. Where you must go, is a journey only you can take. In order to undo all of Xenahort's treachery and distruptance of the natural order, you must go to the source of his power." Virgil began.

"Where is the source? What are you talking about?" Sora continued to question.

"There is much you and your allies do not percieve, and therefore your ignorance is understandable. Even the wise Yen Sid is not sure of what must be done. You may face Xenahort many times, and defeat him each time. However, his true essence resides within the source. As long as the source is allowed to exist, Xenahort will never truly be gone. You must go to this source and destroy it. Only then will Xenahort be able to be truly destroyed." Virgil answered.

"I still don't understand." Sora stated.

"In the beginning, the 'Threads of Fate' created a power source of light. You must've figured out by now, Kingdom Hearts is not just light. It is the essence of life. All hearts are born from it, the hearts of your friends, strangers, and even worlds, all manifestes through the power of Kingdom Hearts. However, this was created out of darkness. As hearts were created, darkness sought to consume them. This is the nature of darkness. To protect these hearts, Kingdom Hearts created a living weapon. The Keyblade. It would chose the strongest hearts, and grant them extraordinary power to contain the all consuming darkness."

"Darkness cannot be destroyed Sora, it is part of the balance. The first Keyblade weilder knew this and created powerful doors to keep the darkness from consuming the light. One such weilder, a passionate man: Xenahort. He did not understand why darkness should only be kept at bay, but destroyed. Confident in his strong heart, he traveled into the heart of darkness. However, his foolish pride was consumed by the darkness. Thus, Xenahort became a corrupted heart. His strong will was now empowered by the darkness he sought to fight. Since then, he has put into motion several plots to unlock the Kingdom Hearts and let darkness consume all once again."

"This entity that links his soul to the dark source must be severed. You must sever that link. Once that link is severed, Xenahort will not be able to reclaim his heart from the darkness again. When this happens, the 'Threads of Fate' will weave once again; and balance will be able to be restored." Virgil explained.

"So I must go to the source of Xenahort's darkness, and destroy it? Won't the darkness try to take me as it did him?" Sora stated, still wrapping his head around all this new information.

"I have yet to explain to you, why this must be your journey Sora. You see, there are places where not even light can reach. The darkness is so basic and chaotic, light is swallowed forever trapped in inescapable darkness. As you get closer to the source of ALL darkness, it becomes much harder for light to travel. You will not come anywhere close to the source of ALL darkness. Where Xenahort's source of darkness resides, is still very far from such a place. Still, in order to reach such dark places; you must walk in shadow where the light cannot follow." Virgil answered.

"But my friends and the light is all I have! How can I get to this place you talk about?" Sora asked.

"It is time you see what truly lies beyond that door Sora. You have the key to your heart Sora, just unlock it and see for yourself." Virgil urged.

Sora hesitantly looked back at the door of light and shadow. He looked at his Kingdom Key, and then walked confidently towards the door. As the door ominously stood tall, Sora was nervous to see what was behind it. He was still unsure if it was a trap or trick, but Virgil assured him that Sora needed to see his heart to understand what he needed to do next. As Sora stood infront of the door, the outline of the boys on the door panels took up an aggressive stand again. Sora lifted his keyblade high above him and pointed it directly at the venter of the door. A swirl of light began to envelope his blade. A large ring of light produced from the tip, and shot out a beam of pure light. A keyhole formed inbetween the two door panels, and the light passed through.

After a few moments, the light dissapated and the door panels slowly began to open. The two boys on the panels let out a dorky, Sora like smile before a flash of light eminated out of the room beyond the door. Sora shielded his eyes, and as his focus came back to him; he saw something shocking.

Sora crept through the door nervously, still unsure of what he was seeing. Sora took a moment to look at a large chamber. It was another platform, but in the shape of a massive heart. The outer walls of this platform had several pictures of his most cherished memories lining them. What Sora found most strange was the divide down the center of the massive heart. On the left side was a massive imprint of Kairi with bright white yellow light radiating from beneath it. As he crossed to the other side he noticed an imprint of Riku, however a dark purple essence eminated from beneath it. As he circled around to get a clearer view, the heart was seperated by a line. One the left side was light, and the right side was darkness.

Suddenly an invisible wall shot up between the divide and it startled Sora. As he gained his composure he realized he was on the light side. As he looked over to the other side, he saw a being rise from the darkness. It looked exactly like Sora! As Sora flinched and drew out his keyblade again, the dark replica imitated in sync with Sora. Sora felt puzzled by this. He crept closer towards the wall, and his replica did the same. Sora was now utterly confused as to what was going on.

"Enough charades Sora, do you know what it is you are looking at?" Virgil asked, as he appeared behind Sora. Sora noticed that Virgil did not have a replica behind the wall, and he was really unsure of what to think.

"This is my heart isn't it? Why is there a wall seperating me from the other side where Riku is?" Sora answered.

"Indeed this is your heart Sora. When you gave your heart to Kairi, you allowed darkness to take its place. That darkness found the little darkness that was in your heart and turned you into a heartless. However, Kairi had protected your heart during your first encounter after you left Destiny Island. Therefore the darkness could only change your form, but did not have the means to control it. Kairi then gave you a part of her heart since you gave her yours. These two blessings from her, created what you see now."

"Kairi resides in the light part of your heart. She keeps the darkness from touching your inner light. You gave a part of your light to her, when she had none; and so her light will shine when yours is not strong enough." Virgil stated.

"What abour Riku on the otherside? I didn't give him my heart?" Sora said.

"You saved Riku from darkness. Your heart did not touch his, but his heart touched yours. Riku's heart is full of darkness, but you and Kairi keep a strong enough light within him to resist the darkness from consuming him. Because Riku's heart is darkness, when he saved you from the nightmare you were recently plagued with; his heart contained the darkness that overwhelmed you. Riku will always ensure the darkness doesn't consume you." Virgil explained.

"I still don't understand; how did this happen?" Sora asked.

"As I said earlier. There is much about the heart that would be a mystery to even the wisest of you. This is magic of different kind. It is pure magic, one that could only be done of the heart. It's power is beyond replication, and thus it is unique unto you Sora." Virgil answered.

"Awesome! Riku and Kairi will always be with me!" Sora said excitedly.

"This is why you must complete the journey ahead of you. Kairi is no warrior, and her light is so pure that the darkness would surely be able to notice her and overwhelm her completely. Riku's heart is filled with darkness. He manages to keep it at bay, as long as he is near a powerful source of light. Where you must go, light is very dim and the darkness will fully control Riku once again. It was only because of you, Kairi and King Mickey that he was able to overcome the darkness he faced." Virgil began.

"This will not be an easy journey Sora, but it must be done. Your friends are walking into an unwinnable battle, and you alone are the only one capable of making it far enough into the darkness to banish the source of Xenahort's power." Virgil ended.

"So Riku and Kairi can't come with me? What about Donald and Goofy? King Mickey?" Sora asked sadly, finally realizing what Virgil was talking about.

"I'm afraid Sora that your journey from here will be one that Riku walked once. You must walk in darkness and succeed. It will not be easy, and many trials and challenges await you." Virgil answered empathetically.

"But i'm not strong without my friends! I need them, how can I defeat this source of darkness without them!?" Sora asked loudly.

"It is time you realize your inner strength Sora. As I have shown you, your friends are always with you; inside your heart. Wherever you go, they will be. Beyond that Sora, you have not unleashed your full potential yet. You have a strong heart, which is why your keyblade is loyal to you. What's more, you have to believe in yourself. This journey you must venture on will take you to new world's, and a part of you will grow into what you've always believed you could be." Virgil answered warmly, trying to reassure Sora.

"You'll be with me at least right?" Sora asked as he looked down at his feet. Feeling remorseful that he has to leave his friends behind to give them a fighting chance.

"Know this Sora, the path you must walk will be laden with trials and challenges unlike those you've dealt with before. There will be temptations, traps, illusions and horrors you've never even imagined. It will take a true heart of bravery, courage, and heroism to overcome. As you get closer to the dark source, the monsters and creatures you face will frighten the weak and feeble minded. Trust in yourself Sora, and steel yourself. You must succeed, or all your friends will fall into darkness." Virgil stated.

"If it is to protect my friends, I'll do anything! With all of them in my heart, I won't fail!" Sora exclaimed, pumping himself up.

"Good. Your journey will start in Traverse Town. There you will meet someone who can offer you some help on your journey. As well Sora, because of the nature of your quest, you can't let your friends know where you are going. It is too risky for anyone to follow you, and once you pass a certain point; they will be unable to follow. You must not let them know where you intend to go. They must remain and fend off the darkness that looms for now." Virgil explained.

"Well, I guess it's time to begin; huh? Will we meet again?" Sora asked.

"I am your guide Sora, so you will not be completely alone. When I need to speak with you, or you to me, just look within your heart." Virgil answered.

Sora looked around and found himself being pulled out of the room with his heart. As he was pulled he saw both doors slam shut, and the two boys on the panels went into a defensive stance.

"Virgil! What's going on!?" Sora yelled out.

"Wake up Sora... Wake up Sora... Wake up Sora!" A voice called out to him.

Sora felt himself looking at utter darkness. His senses were telling him someone was shoving his shoulder and shouting at him. Sora quickly shot up, and started to breath heavy. He took one quick glance around the room, to notice he was back in Yen Sid's house. Donald was right next to him, beating his staff on Sora's chest crying out annoyingly to wake up.

"Hey! Donald! Goofy! I'm awake ahaha!" Sora said happily, as he sat up.

Donald and Goofy tackled Sora back down, as quickly as they saw him sit up. The trio laughed for about a minute, play fighting and exchanging hugs; allthewhile laughing as if they heard the world's greatest joke. After a few moments composing himself, Sora looked over to see Riku; lying unconcious on the floor. Sora quickly rushed over to him, and began shoving on his shoulder.

"Riku! Riku! Riku get up!" Sora cried out.

"Enough of this foolery!" A gruff voice bellowed throughout the room.

Sora flinched in shock. He knew that voice all to well, it was none other than the magical Yen Sid. Yen Sid was always quiet, and carried himself with a frown that seemed permanently attached to his face. To those who have ever met him, he would come off as an intimidating man. Especially since the rumours were true about his incredible magical powers. What was more frightening is that he is able to weild a keyblade! Sora turned slowly, as he faced Yen Sid who seemed the polar opposite of amused at the current situation.

"H... Hi... Mr. Yen Sid!" Sora said in a light hearted smile.

"Are you alright Sora? What happened?" Yen Sid asked bluntly, clearly not wanting to partake in any shenanigans.

"I... uh, was about to face Braig when several nobodies jumped all over me and then I found myself in a dark place with some creepy voice yelling at me all sorts of horrible things. Then I heard Riku's voice, and then a flash and I was in a room and..." Sora rambled.

"Hmm? What was that?" Yen Sid beckoned, feeling Sora was on to a peculiar detail.

Sora was about to tell Yen Sid about Virgil, but remembered at the last moment what Virgil said about telling others about his mission.

"Yeah, it's a little fuzzy haha. Is Riku okay Mr. Yen Sid?" Sora asked wuickly, trying to deflect the question.

"Hmmm. What!? Oh yes. Riku should be fine. He is probably just recovering from his struggle that he had to endure; BECAUSE OF YOU!" Yen Sid said roughly.

Sora flinched back in shock, at the sound of Yen Sid's ire. At the same time, Riku shot up and awakened. Riku was breathing heavily, frantically scanning for Sora.

"Sora, Sora! Where are you?" Riku asked.

"Riku!! I am here friend!" Sora said loudly as he tackled Riku back onto the ground.

"Hey champ; I guess we're even now right?" Riku said with a half smile, rubbing the back of his head from when Sora tackled him.

"No way buddy! I owe you one big tim haha!" Sora laughed as he clenched his arms around Riku's neck.

"I SAID ENOUGH!!!" Yen Sid bellowed even louder than before.

Both Sora and Riku shot up at the position of attention, hearing Yen Sid's disgruntled voice. It was rare he spoke aggressively, but his face and demeanor warranted a level of fright in the both of them.

"Now... you both have done well in the mission I gave you; but only one of you succeeded in the 'Mark of Mastery' exam." Yen Sid began.

"I hope it's Riku! I hope it's Riku!" Sora thought to himself.

"Riku, having completed your mission and saving your friend all the while resisting the darkness within; I deem you worthy to be a Keyblade Master!" Yen Sid stated proudly.

"Sora, you did not meet my expectations of Mastery. You were easily suaded by the darkness; and even allowed yourself to fall into a trap in which Riku had to save you from. For this, I do not believe you are ready to be a Master." Yen Sid finished.

"Excuse me? I literally stopped Ansem from swallowing Kingdom Hearts, saved countless world's; single handedly defeated the ENTIRE organization XIII, defeated a giant Ice Titan and toe to toe with Sephiroth twice! I literally saved Riku from darkness, and Kairi from becoming a heartless. I'm not ready to be a master of the keyblade?" Sora thought to himself as he rolled his eyes.

"Riku! Hooray! Thats awesome! You're a keyblade master now! Shall I call you Master Riku? Master Riku! Master Riku." Sora said happily, attempting to be positive about the outcome. His mission from Virgil was too important to lose focus over a simple title. To Sora, the only time a keyblade master did anything, was when King Mickey helped them to defeat the nobodies in the World That Never Was.

"Hey cut it out Sora! You have to listen now, I'm a Master!" Riku laughed jokingly.

"Yes sir, Master Riku!" Sora said promptly, snapping to attention and saluting.

The two laughed at their own antics. Meanwhile, Yen Sid was far from amused. Now it appeared he had a vein bulging from his forehead, as his ire continued to grow.

"Pay attention! We must be ever vigilant now; our work is not done yet. Riku, i have an important mission for you!" Yen Sid said, trying to hold back his wrathful tone.

"Ahh super secret missions! That's so cool Riku! I think i'm going to go train so I can retake the Mastery exam!" Sora exclaimed, looking for an out to begin his quest.

Sora quickly went over to the corner of the room to start packing his things. The rest of the group was puzzled at his tenacity. Sora made haste to shove a few potions and food into his bag. He'd need alot where he was going. As Sora was seemingly flying around the room, Riku and the others were listening to Yen Sid ramble on about Xenahort's plan; and what their next move would be. Sora walked up to Donald and Goofy and got their attention.

"Hey guys, I've gotta go train on my own for bit. I'll be back though! I'ma miss you guys! But don't wait up for me if something crazy comes along. Now that Riku's a Master, he can take care of it! I won't be gone long!" Sora said quickly.

"Gwarsh Sora, why the big rush? Can't you stay and have fun for a little bit?" Goofy asked.

"Yea! Where you going anyways Sora?" Donald asked in his raspy duck voice.

"I think i'm gonna check out Traverse Town. Something tells me I'll meet someone who can help me become a better keyblade wielder!" Sora said shyly, as he grinned widely. Sora wasn't much of a liar, so his bluff was easy to recognize. Luckily for him, Donald and Goofy weren't the sharpest tools in the box.

Riku looked over at Sora, and felt a strange feeling. He had an uneasy feeling Sora might be headed into danger. However, Yen Sid required his attention as an urgent matter; so he just had to have faith that Sora would be okay.

"Hey Riku, It's super cool that your a Master now! Go kick some heartless butt! Hopefully when I get back, I can finally beat you!" Sora said cheerfully, trying his best not to say goodbye.

"Heh, you'll get there soon Sora. Maybe you'll even get the chance to be better than me! Hahaha" Riku joked with concern.

"Next time I'll beat you!" Sora said happily to Riku.

With that, Sora headed for the door.

"Sora!" Yen Sid bellowed.

Sora turned around cautiously.

"What else did you see whilst you were asleep?" Sora answered hesistantly.

Yen Sid accepted Sora's answer, but felt that Sora was ommitting a detail. Still, if it weren't for his frustration at the current momemt he might've pressured Sora into being more forthcoming with details. Still, Yen Sid knew wherever Sora was going he would be alright. He may not have passed the Mastery exam; but Yen Sid is no stranger to fate. Sora indeed had the capability, but what was more important than a title; was being able to realize it.

Sora waved a short, bittersweet goodbyd to his friends. As he closed the door, he pulled out of his pocket his charm that Kairi gave him. He brushed his finger across it gently, almost as if he was touching a loved one.

"Forgive me Riku, forgive me Kairi. I'd do anything to protect you. Please, don't lose hope in me. I need you, even though you can't come. I will prove my strength. We will meet again." Sora whispered to himself.

And that is Chaptah 1. Hope you like the set up of the story. Like I said, it takes a sharp turn for the KH canon story; but I think a journey of self discovery for Sora would be a cool thing to explore. More to come shortly!


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